Arrival at Kangerlussuaq, check-in and welcome meeting
We fly with Air Greenland from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq. It is a 4½-hour flight. Your guide from the local tour office will welcome you upon arrival and assist you with the check-in at the Polar Lodge. The Polar Lodge is located just a stone’s throw from the airport and offers relaxed accommodation with kitchen facilities, a ‘living room’ and a souvenir shop.
Once you have checked in and unpacked in your room at the lodge, the guide will call everyone together for an information meeting. You will get practical advice about the settlement, the area, places to eat and go, and here you can confirm any excursions you have booked from home.
It is also possible to book excursions at the meeting, but we recommend to book in advance. We have put together an excursion package we think best covers what Kangerlussuaq and Ilulissat have to offer.
It is now time to experience the old American airbase on a guided tour by bus, giving you insight into the area’s fascinating history and nature.
Kangerlussuaq on your own or possibly trips to the Ice Sheet and to see northern lights (optional)
You are free to do as you please today, and the stunning hinterland offers several excursions.
Excursion to the Ice Sheet, Point 660 (optional)
If you have purchased the Excursions Package, the first trip will take you to the Ice Sheet. Kangerlussuaq is known as the gateway to the Ice Sheet, and this is a guided tour to the immense ice sheet the size of Western Europe. We will drive in a 4×4 bus through a stunning and varied terrain.
As the road comes to an end, we will approach the Ice Sheet itself by Point 660 – a unique experience. We will spend some time in this enormous world of ice before returning to our vehicles. The trip offers great opportunities for spotting reindeer, musk oxen and, depending on the season, many different species of birds and, possibly, some hares. Go on this trip for a unique opportunity to stand on the Ice Sheet. It is quite something to feel the extreme cold and let your eyes wander across the vast ice surface.
Northern lights trip – Aurora Borealis (optional)
The next trip in the excursion package is a tour to see the northern lights. On cloudless evenings, you will often witness the most stunning northern lights in Kangerlussuaq. We will drive out into the landscape, where we will not be disturbed by artificial lighting, and let nature begin its light show.
Later, as we drive back, the guide will talk about the northern lights and the many Greenlandic myths associated with them throughout the ages. A cup of tasty Greenlandic coffee will also be served during the trip.
Please note that on departures in September, the northern lights tour is replaced by a full-day tour by boat to the Eqi Glacier near Ilulissat (on day 6) because September is too early to see northern lights.
Flight from Kangerlussuaq to Ilulissat, welcome meeting
We now head towards Ilulissat. It is a beautiful 45-minute flight, giving you a perfect chance of really enjoying the beautiful icy landscape, the desolate expanse, and grandeur. During the approach to Ilulissat, the town seemingly pops up in the middle of nowhere. The coloured houses vie for attention among the snow-covered peaks and as the Dash aircraft lands, you can look forward to the next few days full of ice, winter, and dog sleds – combined with cultural highlights from a very traditional, Greenlandic town.
Information meeting upon arrival
You will be picked up at the airport and driven to your hotel. Here you will meet a guide from our local tour office, who will arrange an info meeting to tell you about the town, the area and places to eat. You can book excursions at the meeting, or you can confirm the excursions you have already booked from home.
Explore Ilulissat on your own or possibly a guided tour of the town (optional)
Disco Bay is one of Greenland’s most popular tourist destinations. People are attracted by the ice and the many cultural attractions and the interaction between the traditional lifestyle and modern urban life.
The tour options are numerous in and around Ilulissat, and perhaps the information meeting has inspired you to go on one – or perhaps you want to enjoy the amazing view across the Disco Bay and let time freeze.
Guided tour of the town (optional)
The first excursion is a guided tour of the town. You will learn about the town’s history and experience the town’s many exciting areas. Ilulissat was founded in 1741 and, today, it is the third largest town in Greenland with more than 4,500 inhabitants.
Seeing and especially hearing some of the many thousands of sled dogs living here is unavoidable. Unless out on a trip, most of the dogs gather outside the town in large dog areas.
Explore Ilulissat on your own or possibly a boat trip on the Ice Fjord (optional)
Today, you are free to do as you please, and the options are plentiful. Do not miss out on a trip to the sewing workshop where souvenirs are made from sealskin, or to the craft shops selling artifacts made from teeth and bone.
Boat trip on the Ice Fjord (optional)
Almost every visitor to Ilulissat chooses to go on this boat trip among the icebergs at least once. Every day, more than 40 million ton of ice flow out into the fjord. The floating icebergs are gigantic, sometimes measuring more than 100 meters wide and long – and with a height of up to 100 meters above the water surface as well. These giants gather at the end of the fjord, providing you with a great opportunity to sail among them. You should not miss out on this exceptional experience when visiting Ilulissat.
Ilulissat on your own or possibly a hike to Sermermiut (optional) or a trip to the Eqi Glacier (optional - in September only)
Another day filled with possibilities. If you have purchased the excursion package, you will go on one or two trips today.
Hike to the deserted Sermermiut settlement (optional)
Beautiful icebergs provide the setting for the old settlement of Sermermiut 1.5 kilometers south of Ilulissat. For 4,000 years, different Inuit cultures lived in the settlement. Hear the story about the life of the Inuit people and their traditions before the Europeans came to Greenland. Depending on the time of the year you arrive, you may be able to see the ruins and touch the permafrost with your own hands.
If you travel in September, you can go on a boat trip to the calving Eqi Glacier.
Day tour to the Eqi Glacier (optional)
Only a few places in Greenland are as beautiful as the Eqi Glacier, which ends in the fjord 80 kilometers north of Ilulissat. It is possible to get very close to the glacier by boat and experience huge pieces of ice breaking off. The sounds are thunderous, and the sight of ice crashing into the water is astonishing.
We sail in modern and convenient boats during the excursion to Eqi. The route takes us north along the coast passing Bredebugt, the settlement of Oqaatsut and the big fjord system called Pakitsoq, where whales and seals are often spotted. Further along the route, we pass through the Ataa Strait, which is surrounded by steep mountains with bird life and waterfalls. Our boats, which are reinforced for sailing in icy waters, will remain in front of the glacier for approximately two hours and wait for the ice to calve. Meanwhile, a delicious lunch will be served. This is an all-day excursion where you will have a good opportunity to immerse yourself in the experience and fully enjoy the boat trip in the ice-filled water.
Explore Ilulissat on your own
Spend the last day in Ilulissat experiencing the atmosphere and life in the town. Step back in the footsteps of history and learn about the rich history at the museum that was Knud Rasmussen’s place of birth. Fishermen and hunters at the open market give you an idea of the exciting Greenlandic food products – it does not get any fresher than this.
Not only your eyes need nourishment, but also your tummy. At the restaurants in Ilulissat, you can try local specialties such as Greenlandic sushi, deep-fried “ammassats” (small fish), whale and seal, and the cafés offer freshly-baked cakes. All your senses will get a work-out on this trip!
And you will never get tired of looking out across the Ice Fjord.
Flights from Ilulissat to Kangerlussuaq and Copenhagen
Enjoy one final view of Ilulissat’s Ice Fjord and the captivating icebergs, the flight will take you back to Kangerlussuaq and onwards to Copenhagen where you will arrive in the evening.
